


Four Corners

by chilly_flame



Category: The Devil Wears Prada (2006)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-02-14
Updated: 2013-11-10
Packaged: 2018-01-01 02:31:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,373
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1039309
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chilly_flame/pseuds/chilly_flame
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A story told from Cassidy Priestly's perspective, about her mother and her sister, and a new person in their lives.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This was a great adventure, and my first attempt at present tense. Thanks to my beta Xander, and to all the other writers who have inspired me with their wonderful stories.

Part I.

 

At age six, Caroline and Cassidy share a room, as they have since birth. Their beds are narrow and positioned close together, because they don’t like to be far apart. Oftentimes one will sneak into the other’s bed when their parents go to sleep, but they make sure to separate in the morning so their mommy doesn’t get mad. Mommy likes them to have their own “space,” because Dr. Rosen says they should.

 

They don’t get to dress the same way anymore either, even though they both liked it. It was fun to match, and sometimes their teachers would get them confused in school. That was great. Once they even switched names for the day, just to see what would happen. The only person who noticed was Cassidy’s other best friend Janie. She kept the secret though. Janie is nice, even if she gets jealous of Caroline sometimes.

 

But Cassidy would never pick Janie over Caroline. She would never pick anyone over Caroline, maybe not even Mommy, and definitely not Daddy.

 

She and her sister are very similar, but Cassidy knows she is the brave one. She always has been. Caroline probably knows this as well, but they have never talked about it. Cassidy is the protector, and she cuddles herself around Caroline’s head after she has a bad dream, or when she’s sick, or when they hear bad noises coming from Mommy and Daddy’s room.

 

They often hear sounds through the walls. Sometimes it’s talking, or music, since their mommy likes to sing when she’s alone. Other times, it’s completely quiet.

 

Tonight is not like that.

 

Tonight there are the angry sounds, voices shouting back and forth. Even though Cassidy can’t tell what they are saying, she knows that something terrible is happening. She hopes she doesn’t hear another smash the way she did last week. That time one of her parents threw something big and loud against the wall, and it made both Cassidy and Caroline scream a little. Caroline’s knees dug into Cassidy’s stomach really hard, but she just held her sister more tightly and swore to take care of her. That’s what she always did.

 

The angry sounds only began when Cassidy and Caroline started kindergarten, or at least that’s what Cassidy remembers. It might have happened before that too, but she’s not sure. She thinks her parents don’t realize that the walls aren’t that thick, especially because she and Caroline try to be very quiet when their parents are in their bedroom. For a while it was nice when Cassidy could hear their voices talking together. Now she wishes they would both shut up so Caroline wouldn’t be so scared.

 

Tonight, the noises get louder and louder. “I’ve got you,” Cassidy whispers. She tries hard to understand the words her mother is saying. Mommy never yells at them, but she yells at their father, and he yells back.

 

The sound of a door thrown open startles both of them. Cassidy thinks that the doorknob must have made a hole in the wall. “You can go to hell, Miranda!” their father shouts. He’s not even trying to be quiet. “I’m finished with this fucking house. I’m finished with this fucking marriage.”

 

“I’ll change the locks if you walk out of here,” Mommy yells back. Cassidy cringes. It sounds like she’s crying.

 

“Do whatever the hell you want—you always do anyway. I’ll take the girls this weekend.”

 

“I won’t allow it!” their mom says.

 

“Fuck you, _Miriam_. Call my lawyer!” their father snarls. His voice is farther away now. There is the pounding of footsteps, and another door slams. Something falls downstairs and breaks, because Cassidy hears the glass shatter.

 

She is crying, and so is Caroline. Their father is leaving them. All of them. 

 

Cassidy knows that “fuck” is a really bad word, because she hears it at school a lot. She is mad that her dad said that word to their mom. She’s also mad that he didn’t say goodnight before they went to their room to sleep, and now he didn’t even say goodbye.

 

Cassidy has wondered for a while how often they argue about her. She thinks about it all the time, but she doesn’t tell their mom. Mom is very busy, and Cassidy doesn’t want to upset her.

 

The hallway is quiet again, until their door opens a few inches. The blue of the constellation nightlight makes the room bright enough for Cassidy to tell that their mother is crying. “Girls?”

 

“Yes?” Cassidy says. She won’t pretend that she doesn’t have Caroline in the bed with her. Not this time.

 

Their mom comes over and sighs. The sound is funny, like a sob. She pushes them both over a little and gets on the bed with them, and holds them tight. Cassidy cries some more, but she likes being held. She feels safer with her mother there, touching her. Even if nothing will really be all right, she loves her mom, and she likes being loved by her. She doesn’t get to be held that much by anyone except Caroline. She’s too big, or that’s what her parents say. But she misses it. She yearns for it.

 

Tonight, she has it, because their mom stays with them on the tiny bed the whole night.

 

\---

 

It is more than two years later, and a few things have changed since their dad left.

 

Cassidy thinks her mom still doesn’t know that she can hear through the wall. Her mom is smart, so she can’t be sure, but that’s what she believes. Caroline’s room is now across the hall, where Dad’s office used to be. Stephen has an office too, but it’s on the third floor where there used to be a guest room.

 

These days she and her sister share a bed only once in a while, mostly after Caroline has a bad dream. Cassidy has nightmares too, but she never asks to Caroline to come in. Instead she gets up and writes in a journal that she keeps locked and jammed under a floor board her mother would kill her for pulling up. No one, including Caroline, knows where she keeps either the journal or the key. Although she and Caroline know most everything about each other, Cassidy likes to have one thing that is only for her. Cass suspects that Caroline has a journal too, but she hasn’t talked about it. Yet. Someday soon they will explain it to each other, but right now they are practicing having things of their own.

 

Caroline didn’t mind moving out of their bedroom. After their dad left, they occasionally heard their mom crying through the wall. It was worse than everything that happened before, even the most terrible of fights. But Cassidy wanted to stay, and she’s glad she did. She likes knowing what’s happening with Mom, no matter how bad it is. It’s important to know.

 

It didn’t take too long after Dad took off for their mom to stop crying. Things went back to normal, or as normal as could be with everything totally different. When their mom talked on the phone in her room, it was good to listen to her voice as she went to sleep.

 

And then Stephen started coming over. He’s been around for most of the year. Cassidy hears the two of them talking at night, but softly, and not for very long.

 

That’s doesn’t bother her. Stephen is nice to them, and brings their mom flowers all the time. Anything that makes their mom smile is fine with Cassidy, even if Stephen doesn’t pay much attention to her and Caroline.

 

Tonight Cassidy opens her closet and glares at the flower girl dress that she will wear to their wedding in two weeks. She thinks it’s silly that she’s going to be a flower girl, because she and Caroline are too old to be flower girls. But their mom wants them to be in the wedding, and that’s the only job they can have, since they are too young to be bridesmaids.  So, they will walk down the aisle and drop rose petals in a giant church, and their mom will get married again.

 

Dad was angry when he found out, but he got remarried last year, so he can’t say anything too bad. Their stepmother Karen says it’s better this way, because everyone deserves to be happy, even their mom. But the weird thing is that Cassidy knows their dad wishes he was still married to Mom. He told Cassidy one night, after he had a lot of wine and got sleepy. Cassidy still remembers how strange it was to hear her dad talk about always loving their mom, and hating the fact that he couldn’t have her the way he wanted to.

 

Cassidy will not tell Caroline this. Caroline wouldn’t want to know.

 

As a stepmom, Karen is okay. She seems kind of dumb, with all that astrology talk and her obsession with gluten-free foods, but she’s cool. She teaches Cassidy and Caroline yoga poses when they get together, and she tries to help them with their homework when their dad isn’t around.

 

Cassidy thinks Karen wants to have a baby of her own, and that’s probably a good idea. Cass wouldn’t mind having another sister or brother, even if it was just half. Mom won’t have another kid. She’s too busy with work, and Stephen doesn’t seem all that fatherly.

 

She can hear Stephen and their mom talking now, in quiet voices. It’s nice. It makes her feel good to have a fourth person here, even if he’s not perfect, or amazing, or anything special. Maybe he’ll get to know her and Caroline better, and they’ll be a family.

 

\---

 

Cassidy can’t remember when her mom stopped singing.

 

She thinks it might have been before she got married to Stephen, but it’s been a long time since she’s heard her pretty voice. It wasn’t like she sang all the time, but when Cassidy and Caroline were small, their mother sang them to sleep. Every night, really. She sang old-fashioned songs that Cassidy never heard on the radio, or anywhere else but on the stereo of their house. Mom said some were songs her own mom used to sing when she was little, and others she learned in college. Those were her favorites.

 

Cassidy never hears any of those songs anymore. And she never hears noises coming from her mom’s room. The one she shares with Stephen, who didn’t turn into a dad the way Cassidy hoped he would. She doesn’t hear them talking, or yelling, or anything at all.

 

The really awful thing is that even from the beginning, Cassidy knew it wouldn’t work. Stephen never loved them the way you’re supposed to when you get to be a family. He loved their mom, and he still does, because who doesn’t? Cassidy is old enough to know that their mother is special, set apart from other people. She is unique, and important. Everyone listens to her. Because of this, Cassidy and Caroline can pretty much do as they please. They get everything they ask for. They can neglect their homework whenever they want, and Mom’s assistants do their school projects when they aren’t in the mood. Which is all the time, lately.

 

Aside from that, Stephen can be mean, in a way that neither Cassidy nor Caroline expected. Years ago they saw their dad get mad, before the divorce. He said a lot of things that weren’t nice. But Stephen is downright cruel some of the time. Cassidy has gotten to the point where she would rather be away from home, with her dad or grandma, because her mom and Stephen are miserable to be around when they’re together. When they’re apart, Mom is just as unhappy.

 

Cassidy and Caroline like to take out their own unhappiness on other people. Mainly, Mom’s assistants. The assistants have to do as their mom says, and Caroline was the one who first realized that this means that they also have to do as she and her sister say. It’s fun to make someone do what you want, even when you know it’s wrong. Even when you know it’s the worst thing ever.

 

Only a few days ago, Cassidy and Caroline got their Mom’s newest assistant in big trouble. They did it on purpose, and Cassidy is certain that they will do it again at their first opportunity. It’s kind of sad, really, because the girl who got in trouble seems nice. She’s pretty, with big eyes, and long dark hair that looks really soft. She was kind to them for a minute. But that was the biggest problem. The assistant’s kindness made Cassidy want to hurt her even more.

 

Only at night, when Cassidy is alone in her room, after she’s stored her journal away in its special place, does she think that she shouldn’t do these things. But she deserves to have fun when she can, because her mom doesn’t sing, and she never gets a kiss goodnight.

 

\---

 

Stephen has been gone for a while. Cassidy didn’t even realize he’d left till their mom came home from Paris and said that the two of them were getting a divorce. As usual, Caroline cried. Cassidy just crossed her arms, and repeated to herself that it didn’t hurt, because she’d known it was coming.

 

It still sucks. Stephen wasn’t much of a dad, but he made the fourth corner in the perfect square that Cassidy thinks is a family. Without him, they are a triangle again. A lopsided one, at that.

 

Their mom’s mood is always the same now: sad, but pretending everything is okay. Cassidy hates that. She would rather know what her mom is really thinking instead of having to guess all the time.

 

But the most bizarre thing is that yesterday, Cassidy swears that she heard her mom hum under her breath. Cass recognized the snippet of song—it was one her mom knew from college, by some lady with long blonde hair who played piano. Or maybe guitar; Cassidy couldn’t keep track. But it was a song that Cassidy always liked and remembered.

 

That’s why Cassidy believes something weird is going on. There are other reasons that fuel her questions, but she can’t quite figure out what they mean yet. It has to do with the funny expressions that her mom gets when she receives a text message at night, or in the morning. And Cassidy is sure that her mom blushed when she picked up a package out of the pile of mail yesterday. Cassidy was dying to know what was in it, but she never found out, because her mom took the box and carried it upstairs into her bedroom.

 

Tonight, Cassidy hears her mother’s voice coming through the wall of her bedroom for the first time in forever. Her mom is talking to someone on the phone. Cassidy has no idea who it is. But there’s something in the way she’s speaking, all slow and calm, that makes Cassidy’s stomach do flips. She isn’t angry, so Cassidy doesn’t think it’s about the magazine. Usually Mom’s conversations about work are really fast. She calls someone, tells them to do something, and hangs up. But now, she’s just chatting. Cassidy watches the clock, starting at 9:57pm. By the time she falls asleep, sometime between 10:28 and 10:29, her mother is still speaking in that slow, calm voice that sends Cassidy into peaceful dreams.

 

\---

 

It’s past ten, and Caroline is sitting with Cassidy in her room, staring at the wall. Caroline doesn’t believe her, but Cassidy is certain she is right.

 

Andy Sachs, mom’s old assistant who quit last year, came over for dinner tonight. Cassidy is convinced that this is the person that their mom has been talking to on the phone with for the last three months. In fact, she’s absolutely certain. Their mother was very nervous tonight at dinner, not talking much, but watching the way she and Caroline acted with Andy. Cass thinks Andy was nervous too, because she talked a lot and laughed really loud. Andy might be like that all the time, but Cassidy doubts it. If Andy was that annoying, their mom wouldn’t be friends with her.

 

And that’s what their mom says Andy is. A _friend_. Cassidy knows it’s more than that.

 

The thing that sucks is that she can’t talk about this with anyone except Caroline. Dr. Rosen can’t know that her mom is gay, or bi, or whatever, because it’s definitely a secret. She doesn’t trust anyone else as much as Caroline, or her mom, or Dr. Rosen, so she’s stuck. She has to find a way to convince Caroline that she’s not crazy. Her mom has never invited anyone from the office home for dinner, ever. Not even Nigel, who she and Cassidy have met a bunch of times and like a ton. He’s gay; maybe he knows about Mom and Andy.

 

Cassidy stares at the wall some more, and waits.

 

“You’re psycho,” Caroline hisses. “No way. I’m going to bed.”

 

“Five more minutes,” Cassidy begs. “I swear.”

 

They are waiting to hear their mother’s voice. Andy left half an hour ago. Cassidy knows something will happen tonight. She believes it with all her heart.

 

She is rewarded a few minutes later, when she hears the tinny sound of her mother’s cellphone ring. There are thirty seconds of silence, and Cassidy wonders if she is crazy like her sister says.

 

Until she hears her mother laugh, and laugh again.

 

Caroline gasps. Her hand flies to her heart.

 

Cassidy rolls her eyes. “It’s not like she never laughs. Come on.”

 

“Are you sure she’s talking to Andy?”

 

“No,” Cass admits, “but I think she is. I thought so as soon as she told us about having her over for dinner.” For weeks Cassidy has been waiting for a hint as to the identity of her mom’s nightly caller, and the dinner date was the answer.

 

“What do we do?” Caroline asks, in a whisper.

 

“I don’t know,” Cassidy replies. “See what happens, I guess.”

 

They sit a few minutes longer, listening to the gentle cadence of their mom’s voice.

 

“Can I stay with you tonight?” Caroline finally asks.

 

“Yeah,” Cassidy says. It makes her feel good.

 

She and Caroline get ready for bed like they always do, and by the time they are finished, they believe their mother will be quiet in her room. But to Cassidy’s surprise, they still hear her through the wall, very faintly. They get into bed and snuggle together, Caroline’s head tucked beneath her chin.

 

\--[  
](http://chilly-flame.livejournal.com/27174.html)


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a great adventure, and my first attempt at present tense. Thanks to my beta Xander, and to all the other writers who have inspired me with their wonderful stories.

 

\---

 

Cassidy feels glad that Caroline has come around to her way of thinking, especially since Andy has shown up for dinner two more times. It's been a month, and their mother seems the same, but different. She looks them in the eye when they speak, listening intently rather than working at the same time. She can multi-task perfectly well, Cassidy knows, but it's nice to get her full attention.

 

She hasn't been home more often than usual, and she isn't exactly cheerful (her mother doesn't do cheerful) but she doesn't frown as much. When she comes in from work, she greets them with smiles, and _hugs_ , which Cassidy covets. She tries to make them last, and sometimes her mother responds in kind, with a kiss or an extra squeeze.

 

She wonders why this is happening, but doesn’t care really. She will enjoy it while it she can.

 

Tonight Andy stayed after dinner instead of going home right away. Their mother sent them upstairs to do homework at 8:30, and even though Cassidy finished hers before her mom got home, she obeyed. Cassidy is sure that Andy is still downstairs with their mom in the study, or the kitchen. She isn't sure which, but she is dying to sneak around and find out.

 

Caroline wouldn't agree to it. She's too nervous to do anything that might upset their mother, but Cassidy's curiosity will not allow her to remain in her room for the rest of the night. Perhaps if she just goes to the kitchen for a glass of water or a bowl of ice cream, she will discover what's going on.

 

Gathering her courage, Cassidy perches on the top of the stairs and listens for where the voices are coming from. So far, she has no idea where they are. But it's not like she's not allowed to go downstairs. It's her house too. She is utterly silent as she creeps down the steps, and slides on her socks across the wood floor. And there, sitting very close together, holding hands and murmuring to one another, are her mother and Andy. After looking her fill, Cassidy pretends to ignore them as she walks past, and notes her mother's tiny gasp of surprise. "Getting ice cream," she says breezily, like she hasn't seen anything amazing, anything completely life-changing tonight. Now that there is proof that her mom and Andy are more than friends, she can get ready for what's coming. Not that she knows what's coming, but whatever it is, she won't try to stop it.

 

She pulls down the half gallon of ice cream and tries to slow her pounding heart. Soft steps approach from behind, and she expects her mother to tell her to go to her room, or to stop eating ice cream because it will make her fat. Instead, out of the corner of her eye, she sees Andy lean against the marble counter and hoist herself up to slide her butt onto it.

 

"Hey," Andy says.

 

"Hey." Cassidy is sweating now. "Want some?"

 

"Sure."

 

Cassidy's eyebrows fly up. Andy is not skinny, not like the models in her mom's magazine. But she is pretty, and has a shape Cassidy secretly wishes her own might be like someday. She wonders if her mom minds the fact that Andy eats ice cream. Without worrying too much about it, she makes Andy three perfect scoops. She hands the bowl over and fixes her own without deciding what to do next.

 

Andy doesn't move from her perch on the counter. Because of this, Cassidy climbs up on the counter opposite and sits across from her. Andy smiles, and Cassidy is pleased, because it feels like she did the right thing. She eats some ice cream, barely tasting it. She and Andy are mirrors of one another for a few minutes, their spoons rising and falling, until both of their bowls are almost empty. By then Andy is grinning widely. "Good stuff, huh," she says, devouring her last bite.

 

"Mm-hmm," Cassidy says.

 

They sit for another minute, until Andy finally cracks. "I like your mom," she says, very fast.

 

Cassidy nods. "I thought so." There is a pause, and Cassidy isn't sure if she should say more.

 

"Anything you want to tell me?"

 

With a shrug, Cassidy replies, "Not really. Mom seems happy." She scrapes the bottom of her bowl for the last spoonful. "You're the one she's on the phone with all the time, aren’t you?"

 

Andy looks surprised. "Maybe?"

 

Cassidy nods again. "Yeah, it's you. At night, and sometimes in the morning before she goes to work."

 

"Huh. I guess." Andy swings her legs, and lets her heels thud against the perfect, white cupboards. Mom wouldn't like that if she could see it. "Does that bother you?"

 

Cassidy rolls her eyes. Didn't she already say it was okay? "No." But she does have a question. It’s because of Stephen that she asks. "Do you like kids?"

 

Andy's face changes in a way that Cassidy can't figure out. She looks eager, which is weird. "Yeah, I like kids."

 

"Huh," Cassidy replies. Andy usually sounds honest, and Cassidy likes that. Cass also likes the way Andy talks to her and her sister in a real conversation. Not just saying "oh" and "yeah" and "that's nice," and then pretending they're not there. "That's good."

 

"I like you, and Caroline. Now that I know you a little better, at least," Andy says, with a wry smile.

 

"What do you mean?"

 

"You don't remember, do you."

 

Cass shakes her head.

 

"You and your sister got me into some pretty serious trouble with your mom once."

 

Cassidy thinks back. There are a number of options she has to choose from, but one of them stands out. "You're the one who got us the Harry Potter book," Cassidy says. She knows exactly what she did, and she feels badly about it, even worse now that she realizes it was Andy. Andy always had looked familiar, but she and Caroline only saw her a few times when she worked for Mom. Plus she's different now. Taller? No. But not as round, or young-looking.

 

Cassidy remembers that time pretty clearly. Thinking about it makes her glad things have changed, because she felt dark and sad then. She wrote a lot of stuff in her journal she's relieved no one knows. It feels like a hundred years ago.

 

"I'm sorry," Cassidy says, and she means it. "I wasn't very nice back then. Neither was Caroline."

 

"It's okay," Andy says. "I proved myself to your mom that day. And you got your book."

 

Cassidy grins. "It was a really good book."

 

"I know. I read it too."

 

"You did?"

 

"Uh-huh."

 

Cassidy is impressed. Her mom hasn't read Deathly Hallows, or any of the other Harry Potter books. She narrows her eyes, suspicious. "Sure was sad about Professor McGonagall dying, wasn't it. I liked her character."

 

"Minerva?” Andy frowns. “She doesn’t die. Are you sure?" Andy asks, her brow creasing as she considers it.

 

"Oh yeah," Cassidy says, relieved that Andy is not lying. "I must have remembered wrong."

 

Andy doesn't reply, but her forehead smoothes out. "Oh." She tilts her head. "Yeah."

 

Cassidy decides then and there that as long as Andy's nice to them, she doesn't care that she's a girl, or that she's dating her mom. If they even call it dating. It's bizarre to think of her mom on dates. "Anyway, I should go back to my room. G'night." She hops down from the countertop. "See you soon?"

 

Andy gets down too, and steps forward. "Gnight, kiddo," she says, and wraps Cassidy in a big hug. "Sleep well. Your mom's in there." She turns her head toward the study. "You might want to say good night to her too."

 

"'Kay." Cassidy is surprised to be in Andy's arms, but it's okay. Nice, even. "Bye."

 

She leaves the kitchen and finds her mom thumbing through the book. "G'night Mom," Cassidy says, and goes in for a hug. She gets one in return, and her mom pulls her almost into her lap.

 

"Good night, darling. See you in the morning." She kisses Cassidy's cheek. Her mom smells great, and her face is really soft. She is beautiful; more beautiful than anyone Cassidy knows.

 

"Okay."

 

Cassidy climbs the stairs in a daze, feeling like everything has changed. Caroline will want to know what happened, but Cassidy isn't ready to tell her. She wants to sit with this for a little while, maybe overnight, before she shares it. Caroline won't mind. She never does. But she'll be happy, just as happy as Cassidy is. Because Cassidy likes Andy now. A lot.

 

Cassidy gets in bed after brushing her teeth and stares at the ceiling. She thinks it will be a long time before she will sleep, because she wants to wait for her mom to go to her room. Instead she drops into a dream almost immediately. In it she walks in a field of tall yellow flowers, holding her hands out to brush her fingertips along the petals.

 

\---

 

Three weeks later, Cassidy wakes up at 7 in the morning on a Saturday to the sound of voices. Two of them.

 

That means Andy stayed over last night.

 

Cassidy is a little bit stunned even though she knows that her mom is into Andy. After all these years of watching her mom with guys, this thing with Andy seems totally different. Mom acts like _herself_ with Andy, like a normal person. She gets kind of snappish sometimes, but Andy has this weird way of disarming her mom's irritation with a few words, or a big laugh. Like it's silly that her mom gets that way, and she should just chill out. Watching Mom not blow up or get an evil look in her eyes is awesome. The upset drains out of her and she shakes her head. Problem solved.

 

Cassidy scrambles downstairs to find Caroline making cinnamon waffles in the toaster. "Andy stayed over last night!" Caroline exclaims in a hushed voice. "Do you think she'll try to sneak out, or that she'll come down to breakfast?"

 

Looking at the waffles, Cassidy has an idea that may cause her to be murdered by her mother, but she immediately wants to follow through. It's a compulsion. "I think we should bring them breakfast in bed."

 

Caroline gasps. "No!"

 

"Yes," Cassidy replies. "It will be our way of telling mom that everything's cool. It's a great idea. Come on, make more waffles. We'll bring them a big pile. I'll get the syrup, and the coffee's already made." She heads for the coffee maker, set on a timer every night by the housekeeper. Cass pours the coffee and gets a little container of skim milk and a bunch of sugar cubes, because she doesn't know how Andy drinks hers. Caroline shivers in front of the toaster, staring at the waffles as if they will cause her eventual destruction.

 

In ten minutes, they have arranged the tray, topped off with a vase that Cassidy swiped from her mom's study. It holds a red rose that smells amazing; it’s a nice gesture, she thinks.

 

As she and Caroline climb the stairs, Cassidy questions her decision, but she wants to do this. She wants her mother to know that she loves her, and she wants Andy to know that too. This is her way. And Cassidy will take all the blame if anything goes wrong. The result can’t be worse than making Andy feel like she has to sneak out without seeing anyone in the morning.

 

They approach, and Cassidy imagines she can hear Caroline's heart beating from a few feet away. Cassidy nods to the door and says, "Knock."

 

Caroline holds out her hand, and hesitates.

 

"Please! This thing is heavy!" Cassidy begs.

 

Caroline finally does, tapping on the door twice with a closed fist. She puts her hand to her mouth.

 

A few seconds pass, and a few more. Cassidy's arms begin to shake until the door opens a few inches.

 

Their mother's face, stripped of makeup, greets them. Her eyes are stormy before she sees the tray.

 

"Oh," she says. "What's this?"

 

"Breakfast." Cassidy swallows. "For you and Andy."

 

Their mother puts a hand to her throat, pulling at her robe a little. "My goodness. Andrea, are you fond of waffles?" The door opens wider as their mother steps back and gives them room.

 

Cassidy finally breathes again, and so does Caroline. They step inside and see Andy sprawled on the bed, reading the newspaper. She's looking up at the two of them and their tray in complete surprise. "Hi."

 

"Hi. Do you like cinnamon waffles?"

 

"Do I like cinnamon waffles?” Andy sits up and folds the paper. “Your mom's going to have to fight me for them." Cassidy can see Andy has been doing the crossword, and there is one corner filled in. Her Northwestern sweatshirt is too big, but it looks warm and cozy, and she is wearing flannel pajama pants. Her mother, on the other hand, has disappeared into the bathroom. She emerges a moment later in flowy lounge pants and a cream thermal shirt. This is her usual morning attire, but Cassidy doesn't see her wear it very often. Most days she gets dressed in regular clothes right away.

 

Her mom and Andy sit next to each other, while Cassidy and Caroline kneel in front of them and the tray, watching for reactions. Andy takes her first bite, and her eyes roll back. "I haven’t had syrup in ages. This is great!" She smothers her serving with butter, while their mother adds only a dollop of syrup on the side. She cuts the waffle into pieces, and to Cassidy’s pleasure, actually smiles as she stabs one and eats it.

 

Andy eats all of her waffles and half of one of their mom’s, who instead guzzles the coffee and peels the banana they’d added on the side. Andy breaks off a piece of the fruit when their mom offers it to her, and for some reason that makes Cassidy feel warm inside.

 

“I’m going to Central Park today,” Andy says. “You guys wanna come?”

 

Their mom looks over at Andy, and Cassidy can’t tell what she’s thinking, so she answers fast. “Sure.”

 

“Your mom’s got some work to do, so I thought I’d get out of her hair. I want to try skating at the Lasker rink—I’ve never been there. Do you have skates?”

 

Caroline nods. “We’re not very good though.” Caroline is not lying. Neither of them have the right amount of patience to do something that doesn’t come naturally. Skating is hard, but Cassidy wants to go anyway.

 

Andy laughs. “I haven’t tried since I was in high school, and I was awful, but I still think it would be fun. Okay with you, Miranda?” Andy asks, looking over.

 

“Mm,” their mom says with a nod. “As long as you’re careful.”

 

“I’ll guard them with my life,” Andy replies, saluting.

 

Mom curls her lip. “I was talking about you. I believe it was only last week that you fell over a curb doing nothing more complicated than talking on the phone.”

 

Cassidy’s eyes get wide, and she realizes that their mom is teasing Andy.

 

“Well, we can’t all be graceful as a gazelle like you are, Miranda. Though someday I’d like to see you on skates.”

 

“You’ll be waiting a long time,” their mom says, and she finishes her banana. “That was a lovely breakfast, darlings. Thank you. Now Andrea and I have a few things to finish up here, and then you can be on your way. Why don’t you go get ready?”

 

Cassidy nods and slides off the bed before picking up the tray. Caroline follows her out of the room and closes the door. Downstairs, they load the dishwasher, and make four waffles for themselves. They’re quiet as they sit and eat at the table. Cassidy wonders what Caroline is thinking, and if it’s the same thing she is.

 

That she’d like Andy to stay around for a while. That their mom seems nicer than usual. That she could stand to make cinnamon waffles for the whole family, plus Andy, all the time. That after the shit storm that Stephen caused in their lives, they could use some good luck for a change.

 

 

\---  
  



	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a great adventure, and my first attempt at present tense. Thanks to my beta Xander, and to all the other writers who have inspired me with their wonderful stories.

 

\---

 

Cassidy is trying to go back to sleep after waking herself up out of a bad dream. It was something about dogs and birds attacking her, which is strange, because she likes both kinds of animals a lot. So she tosses and turns for a few minutes, until she is startled nearly out of her bed by a big crash.

 

The sound of it is shocking, and reminds Cassidy of only one thing: the time that her mom and dad had a huge fight, and one of them threw something at the other. It was years ago, forever practically, but it strikes a cold fear in Cassidy’s heart.

 

She doesn’t even bother thinking about how crazy she is for doing what she’s about to do, but if her mom is throwing things at the wall, Cassidy wants to be prepared for the inevitable breakup, and the misery of another lost hope. In only a moment she stands in front of her mom’s bedroom door and pounds on the wood three times. She knocks hard, like she means it.

 

There is no response for a long time, which is probably only about thirty seconds. To Cassidy, this is an eternity. A light goes on under the door, and her mother opens it soon after. “Darling, did I wake you?”

 

“Mom, did you throw something at Andy? Are you fighting?”

 

Her mom looks like she can’t believe what Cassidy is asking. “Where on earth did you get that idea?”

 

Cassidy doesn’t want to elaborate, but she says, “You threw something at Dad once. It sounded like that.”

 

Mom’s face melts a little bit, her mouth falling at the corners. “Oh.” She looks over her shoulder behind the door, and Cassidy thinks she is waving or something at Andy. “Darling, it was an accident. Andrea was reaching across the side table for a glass of water and she knocked over the lamp.”

 

Cassidy raises her eyebrow. “Really?”

 

“Really.”

 

The sound of rustling sheets is audible, and Cassidy is silent until Andy stumbles into the doorway. She’s wearing a robe, and her hair is a total mess. “Hey, I’m fine. No one threw anything at me, or vice versa. Wanna see?”

 

Cassidy steps inside and glances across the room. The bed is made, even though Andy and her mom must have just gotten out of it. But instead of asking why, she looks over at the side table, and the lamp is on the floor next to it. She decides that her mom is telling the truth, because Andy doesn’t look like she’s been crying or has a black eye.

 

“Okay, sorry. I just—“ Cassidy doesn’t finish. She doesn’t want to say she was afraid. Or angry. She would have been both if her mom ruined this thing with Andy.

 

“It’s all right,” her mom says, and hugs her. “I’m sorry we woke you.”

 

The words are out of her mouth before she can bite them back. “I was already awake.”

 

Her mom strokes her hair softly. “Why, darling?”

 

She hesitates, but tells the truth. “I had a bad dream.”

 

“And then you heard the lamp,” her mom adds with a nod of her head. “Well.”

 

“It’s okay. I’m sure I can go back to sleep.” She hugs her mom again. “Good night. Night Andy.”

 

“I’ll tuck you in,” her mom says. “I’m sorry,” she tells Andy, “I’ll just be a few minutes.”

 

“Take your time. I’ll wait. Night, Cass.” Andy blows her a kiss.

 

Cassidy walks back to her bedroom. She slips under the covers, and to her surprise, her mom lies down next to her. She brushes a few strands of hair behind Cassidy’s ear. “Go to sleep, darling. Everything’s just fine.”

 

It’s warm lying next to her mom, and Cassidy nudges her head in closer. “Thanks, Mom. I love you,” she says, because she does not get a chance to say it enough.

 

“I love you, baby,” her mom whispers, and kisses her forehead.

 

Cassidy stays awake for a few minutes, listening to the _thu_ - _thump_ of her mother’s heart, and falls back to sleep without even noticing.

 

\---

 

It is Sunday night, and Cassidy is in her room, procrastinating on her history timeline. How is she supposed to concentrate knowing that her mom is going to be a complete terror after two days of travel? The weather has been terrible in Milan, and their mom was scheduled to come home yesterday. Last night she got on the plane, sat on the runway for an hour, then had to go back to the hotel till this morning. Mom sounded bad on the phone then, but she was worse today calling from the airport, because it snowed again. “Next time, Miuccia comes to New York,” she’d grumbled. “This is a travesty. Have you finished your history project?”

 

Cassidy lied when she answered, “Almost.” Now she is worried about two things: that their mom will come home tired and angry, and that she will go nuts when she realizes Cassidy’s project isn’t anywhere near complete.

 

But Andy is here, and that eases a little of Cassidy’s anxiety. For some reason, Andy has started sticking up for both her and her sister, and what’s amazing is that their mom seems to accept this. Stephen did little in the way of disciplining them, mainly because he didn’t care. When he did, it amounted to telling them “no” a lot. He didn’t want to be their dad, or even their friend. He wanted to be their mom’s husband, or rather, have her be his wife. Wuss.

 

Andy is not like that, and she’s fun to be around. Their mom says it’s because Andy was their age not that long ago, which makes Caroline laugh. But Andy ignores her, and keeps pushing to have their mom go easy on them. What’s even weirder is that Cassidy finds herself wanting to be better at things because Andy thinks she can be. Most of the time now she finishes her homework on time or early, and she even goes to bed when their mom tells her to.

 

Janie says that this is reverse psychology. Cassidy doesn’t know what that is. But she got an A in math last semester, and Mom got her and Caroline backstage passes to “Wicked” as a reward. Now Cassidy wants to meet Miranda Cosgrove, and her ticket to ride is an A in history.

 

She spends twenty minutes trying to focus, and gets much more done in that short period of time than she expected. Glancing at the clock, she starts to worry again. Andy said an hour ago that the plane landed safely. What could be taking so long?

 

Cassidy completes the first two parts of her project in a rush, scribbling notes in her pad and typing on her Mac. The Powerpoint presentation comes together rapidly, and she is nearly finished when she hears the front door slam. Glancing at the clock, she discovers it’s just after 10pm. She races to the hall and slams into Caroline, who is as excited as she is.

 

“Mom’s home!” Caroline exclaims.

 

At this moment, Cassidy realizes that their free reign over the house is coming to a close. Andy has stayed with them the entire week, and it’s been pretty good. Andy made dinner the nights that Sara was off, and she even cooked a full breakfast Saturday morning. She said that her family did that every weekend back in Ohio, and she thought she might try to start the same tradition here. Cassidy ate every bite that Andy put on her plate, and she can hardly wait until next week.

 

But right now, Cassidy can’t wait to see her mom. They thunder down the first flight of stairs, and Cassidy bumps into her sister when she stops on the landing. She looks over a shoulder and sees her mom leaning against the front door in her big black cape, with Andy in her arms. She is smiling in what seems like relief, and presses her face into the crook of Andy’s neck. They murmur quietly, too softly for Cassidy to understand the words. It’s like when they talk in the bedroom at night, but this time, seeing her mom’s face, she knows that whatever they are saying is about love.

 

She understands why Caroline stopped on the landing. It’s a little strange to watch her mom hold someone that way, like she just can’t bear to let go. But it’s pleasant. New. Nice.

 

Her mom looks up, and her eyes widen in surprise and delight. As Cassidy waves, Andy turns to look over her shoulder. “Come down here you little sneaks,” Andy says with a grin.

 

Cassidy is hot on Caroline’s heels and in a flash they are in their mother’s arms. The coat she wears is cold, but their mom is warm beneath it, and they hug her tightly. Cassidy feels Andy’s hand in her hair, and she gets a little shiver of happiness from it.

 

“My girls,” their mom says. “I missed you.”

 

“Missed you too,” Cassidy says, and hears the echo of Caroline’s voice beneath her own.

 

They stand in the foyer for another minute until Andy asks, “Where’s your luggage?”

 

Mom sighs. “I asked one of the production assistants to bring it. I couldn’t stand to wait another moment in that airport. It should be here within the hour.”

 

“You must be exhausted,” Andy says.

 

“I’ve had better days. I’m glad it’s over. I wanted to be home again. Though I’m sure you two,” their mom pinches their cheeks gently, “had a marvelous time.”

 

Caroline shrugs. “We had fun with Andy. But I like it better with both of you here.”

 

Their mom blinks down at them, her red-rimmed eyes growing a little glassy. “Well,” she replies. “I agree.”

 

Andy leads their mom into the kitchen and makes her sit down at the counter. “Here,” she says, and sets out her version of comfort food: a thick slice of charred steak with a sprinkle of parsley, some salad, and a giant glass of red wine. Mom looks at it and sighs, slicing into it slowly. She sighs again as she chews, and Andy winks at Cassidy across the counter.

 

The three of them get on stools and sit with their mom as she talks non-stop about how horrible the flight was, how incompetent the airport staff was, and wasn’t it ridiculous that they even bothered getting on the plane the night before when it was perfectly clear that the weather was only getting worse?

 

When their mom was away, Andy explained that she believed their mom talked this way to let off steam. At work, there are consequences, but at home, it’s best to just let her talk and not worry about what she is saying. At home, Mom’s complaints are just words strung together, and once she says them, they dissipate into thin air.

 

Cassidy grins as she listens to her mother go on. The sound of her voice is soothing, even as she moans about freezing temperatures and endless meetings. But by the time the steak is gone, their mother is calmer. Since Cassidy is paying attention to this pattern now, she realizes that Andy might be right. Their mom quiets as she sips her wine, listening attentively as Caroline describes her week. Never once does she interrupt until Caroline is finished, and she even turns to Cassidy and asks, “How are you, darling?”

 

Cassidy stares, glancing at Andy who smiles serenely as she leans against their mother’s shoulder. “I’m okay.”

 

Her mom nods. “Good. Anything happen while I was gone?”

 

Cassidy leans forward and tells of how she won the mile run in gym, which was an especially sweet victory since her greatest competition, Sasha Seaver, came in fourth place. She talks about how much she still doesn’t like her science teacher, even though she got an A on the last two pop quizzes. Lastly, she asks if she can go to Danielle’s birthday party next weekend, because they’re going to Danielle’s dad’s house where they have a big screening room and a whole floor dedicated to video games.

 

Andy’s mouth drops open. “That’s outrageous! Talk about conspicuous consumption.”

 

Cassidy doesn’t understand exactly what that means, but she assumes from Andy’s tone that it’s gross.

 

“Now, now. Danielle’s father is a film producer. He doesn’t know any better.” She pats Andy’s leg. “Yes, you may go. Do you need to find her a present?”

 

“No, I’ve got that covered. She likes this bunch of books a whole lot so I got her the DVD of the movie.”

 

“What movie?” Andy asks.

 

“Anne of Something or other.”

 

Andy’s eyes are as wide as Cassidy has ever seen them. “Green Gables?”

 

“Yeah, that’s it.”

 

“Have you not read those books?”

 

Cassidy shakes her head, and looks at Caroline, who shrugs. “No.”

 

“My god, you heathens. Two redheads who’ve never known the wonder of Anne Shirley. This summer, you two are all mine. We’re going to read the first three books in the series. The rest are okay, but the first three will _change your life_.” She claps her hands together in excitement.

 

Cassidy remains unconvinced. Other than Harry Potter, she doesn’t know why anybody would get so excited about a book.

 

Mom’s luggage arrives not long after that, and Andy goes upstairs while it’s loaded into the house. No one knows Andy stays here, or that she and Mom are a couple. Cassidy wonders what will happen when people find out, but she really doesn’t care. Compared to everything before she started coming around, things are different. Cassidy can’t remember her mom being like this before, unless she was when Dad was still living with them. But that was a long time ago, and Cassidy has forgotten.

 

Later they settle on the couch, the four of them smushed up together, because Mom wants to watch a few minutes of CNN. Cassidy knows that she will go to bed very late. She will be exhausted in the morning, and her teachers will complain when she doesn’t pay attention. That doesn’t bother her. Tonight she wants to stay close to her mom and her sister and Andy. For the first time in a long while she feels like one corner of a perfect square, and things are the way they’re supposed to be.

 

\---

 

The next morning, Cassidy stares at her bedroom ceiling and smiles.

 

A two hour delay was called, because seven inches of snow fell during the night. In her heart of hearts, Cassidy knows that this delay will magically transform into a school cancellation. Her mom is staying home, and Andy is working for a few hours in the upstairs office that now belongs to her. Across the hall Caroline is Skyping with some friends from school, but Cassidy closed the door when she got too loud. She doesn’t want anything to prevent her from hearing the wonderful noise coming through the wall.

 

Her mother is singing to herself, and it is beautiful.

 

~end.


End file.
